By Staff
Despite facing their three toughest Comstock League opponents of the season, the Niles Junior Baseball Knights remained unbeaten after three straight victories over the weekend.
Friday evening the Knights faced The Westside Warriors at home. After taking a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning the Knights allowed six runs in the Warriors' half of the second.
The Warriors held onto their lead, adding a run in the fifth inning. The Knights came alive in the sixth inning, scoring eight runs on six hits including a grand slam by Jamie Simpson.
Niles held the Warriors in the seventh for the 11-7 victory. Jake Harris earned the pitching victory, going all seven innings. Simpson, Harris and Dustin Zimmerman each had two hits for Niles.
The knights then faced the St. Joseph Breaker Saturday morning and came away with a hard-fought 7-5 victory. Simpson was the winning pitcher, coming on in the seventh to relieve starter Nick Fedore. Simpson and Dan Holland had two hits each while Kyle Prak, Alex Welch and Harris each added a single.
Sunday afternoon the Knights travelled to Kalamazoo to face the West Michigan Vipers. After falling behind in the third inning, Niles chipped away at the lead, taking it back for good in the sixth inning.
Simpson earned another complete-game victory, striking out 11 in the process. Simpson also led the Knights' offense, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run, his sixth. Third baseman Fedore went 3-for-3 at the plate while Kyle Prak, Zimmerman, Jeff Jurgonski, and D.J. Wolnik each added a hit.
Monday night, the Knights kept their undefeated league record intact with a 16-8 victory over the West Michigan Lumberkings at Champ's Field.
After securing a 13-run lead after three innings, the Knights gave up eight runs in the top of the fourth inning. The Knights scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and another in the bottom of the fifth.
Harris got the win for the Knights with David Ralston coming on in the fourth inning for the save.
Keith Prak went 3-for-4 at the plate including a triple, his third of the season. Simpson also tripled, his fifth. Michael Tanke was 3-for-3 at the plate. Other Knights getting hits were Kyle Prak, Welch, Harris and Jurgonski.
The Knights, now 27-4 overall and 12-0 in the Comstock League, play again Wednesday night at home against Bulldog Baseball at 6:30.